This invention relates to hand tools and in particular to a new and improved hexagonal nut driver.
In cabinetry and other components of appliances such as refrigerators, trash compactors, dishwashers, TV cabinets and major appliances such as furnaces and air-conditioners, whether in homes or in buildings such as for offices, apartments and the like, three standard size fasteners constitute approximately 90% of all the fasteners used. Such fasteners are 1/4 inch, 5/16 inch and a 3/8 inch hexagonal sheet metal nuts (Hexnuts). Consequently, to service such appliances, it is common practice to use three separate and distinct hexnut drivers to disassemble and reassemble the appliances. For example, to change a door gasket in a refrigerator, a 1/4 inch hexnut driver is required. To change an evaporator fan motor, a 5/16 hexnut driver is used. If other parts are needed to be changed, usually still another hexnut driver, a 3/8 inch size, is used.
One of the problems in the industry is that often the service man spends half his time exchanging tools to service the appliance and sometimes at least one of the tools is missing or misplaced so that a trip to another location to find the missing tool is necessary. This problem is further complicated by the fact that, while a screwdriver can sometimes replace the missing tool, it has become increasingly popular to eliminate the screwdriver slot from the hexnut so that this substitution is becoming impossible.
In any event, with the necessity for three separate tools, possibly four if a screwdriver is needed to do the job, it is apparent that servicing appliances is unnecessarily time consuming and bothersome. There is a need for a single, easy to use tool to replace the present three or four tools.